Air-lift pump



R. STIRUNG.

AIR LIFT PUMP. v APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I?, ISIS. 1,361,196, T I Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

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i S a u\ QI t5 Nb\Q\,=f\ u o O o GA\W 0 W/ /Q Z/ k\\ qw I xi- .NvQ-'NQ Q ROBERT STIBLING, OF DORMA S SPARK, llNGrIaAND.

Ain-LIFT PUMP.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 7, 1920.

ApplicationA led September 1*(l 1918. Serial No. 254,391.

To all whom t may concern: Beit known that I, ROBERT STIRLING, `a

' subject of the Kinor of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at l:The Anchorage, Dormans Park, in the county of Surrey, England, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus Used in Air- Lift Pumps, of 'which the following is a specification.- A

. This invention relates to that part of the apparatus used in the air-lift pump known as the foot piece by which the'mixture of liquid and compressed air is obtained to pressed start .and maintain the discharge of liquid.

The objectof the invention is to obtain an intimate mixture 'of the liquid and the comair, and at the same time to utilize to the best advantage the available head of the balancing column of the liquid, andthe energy ci the iiow of the compressed air used to reduce the specific gravity of the discharge column.

In apparatus 'of the air-lift type, to say in apparatus in which the raising of the*` liquid depends on the aeration of the liquid in the discharge column, it has been proposed to use a restricted inlet or nozzle for the admission of liquid into the discharge pipe, an air inlet above or below the nozzleadapted to impart velocity to the liquid and mingle therewith, and a throat through which the mingled liquid and air must passv on their way to the discharge pipe.

It has also been proposed to provide a separate inlet for admission of air to the discharge pipe immediately above the de' livery cone through which the mixture of liquid and air enters the discharge pipe.

Apparatus made in accordance with my invention conslsts of an annular air distributing chamber, a restricted inlet or nozzle proportioned to admit the desired quantity of liquid, a prolonged mixing chamber with a conical mouth with a series of air inlets disposed in its length terminating in a delivery cone, or alternatively one or more mixing cones and a delivery cone, through which the mingled liquid and air must passon their way to the discharge pipe. I provide air outlets from the air distributing chamber, to the 'discharge pipe at the upper end of the delivery cone to facilitate starting, but the air supply to these inlets is not d obtained from aseparate inlet, but from the sameinlet that supplies the chamber conthat is j pone. In discharge pipes of large diameter I may use a group of such combination of nozzles and cones as described in preference to a single lcombination of'larger'size, so las to obtain a more intimate mixture of the liquid. and compressed air.

In air lift apparatus in which the air Supa l ply pipe 1s carried within the discharge plpe the a1r supply mlet to the combination or group of combinations of nozzle and cones may be eccentrically or centrally disposed.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a section showing an arrangement-with a combination with air inlets in the mixing chamber with a cone.

Fig. 2 is a section showing anarrangement with one or more detached mixing cones. i

Fig. 3 is a section showing an arrangement oi4 air inlet, from central air supply ipe when only one combination is used. 1Vith more than two combinations the` air inlet wouldbe in the center.

`In Fig. 1, the discharge pipe a is provided With `a liquid inlet nozzle b and a tubular mixing cone-shaped mouth c form-v ing an air distributin chamber 0l within the discharge -pipe a. ir is admitted to the chamber d by inlet holesV e. The upper end of the mixing'ch'amber is ared. forming 'a delivery cone, and is provided with holes' f which permit air to pass from the air vdistributing chamber The mixing chamber c is provided with holes g g through which air passes from the chamber l between thenozzle b and mixing chamber c; h is a vent. The discharge pipe a is adapted to be placed within a pipe not 100 shown and air supplied to the annular space between the pipes in a well known manner.

the nozzle b to the mixing chamber' c. The 110 sor' d, to the delivery tube a.

in the delivery pressure in the mixing chamber will consequently fall and air will enter theJ mixing chamber by the holes g g and vent h causing the liquid to flow steadily up through the discharge pipe. y

In the form shown in Fig. 2 two mixing cones o and c and two vents it and h are shown. In this case holes in the mixing chamber may sometimes bedispensed with.

'More than two mixing cones may be used if desired.

In the form shown in Fig. 3 the nozzleb v and mixing cones are formed in one with a cylindrical casing j and air is admitted to vthe chamber d by a pipe la passing through the chamber, open at the bottom and provided with holes m m within the chamber. These holes are preferably disposed below the level of the vent L.. More than one mixing cone can be used if desired.

What I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In air lift pumps, a foot piece comprising an annular air distributing chamber' within the delivery pipe, a prolonged mixing chamber within the said air distributing chamber, comprising at least one coniopening in a peripheral vent at the mouth of the mixing chamber, in combination with chamber to the mouth means for supplying air to the air distributing chamber at the lower end thereof.

2. In air lift pumps, a foot piece comprising an annular distributing chamber within the delivery pipe, a prolonged mixing chamber within the said air distributing chamber, comprisin at least one conical space, and provide with means alon its len h for admitting air peripherally within sai mixing chamber, the area of cross section of the air distributing chamber being several times larger than the area of cross section of the said mixing chamber at its widest part, a delivery cone above the mixing chamber, provided with 'peripheral passages admitting air, 4from the distributing of said delivery cone, a 'restricted inlet nozzle, proportioned to livery pipe below the level of the opening of the said inlet nozzle.

3. In air lift pumps, a foot piece comprising an annular air distributing chamber Within the delivery pipe, a prolonged mixing chamber within the said air distributing chamber, comprising at least one conical space, and provided with means along its length for admitting air peripherally within said mixing chamber, said means comprising a plurality of apertures along the length of the said mixing chamber, the area of cross section of the air distributing chamber being several times lar er than thearea of cross-section of the sai mixing chamber at its widest part, a delivery cone above the mixing chamber, provided with peripheral passages admitting air from the .distributmg chamber to the mouth of said delivery' cone, a restricted inlet nozzle,proportioned to admit the desiredI quantity of liquid, opening .in a peripheral vent at theV mouth of the mixing chamber, in combination with means for supplying air to the air distribut-- ing chamber at the lower end thereof.

4. In air lift pumps, a foot piece comprising an annular air distributing chamber lwithin the delivery pipe, a prolonged mixing chamber within the said air distributing chamber, said chamber comprising a plurality ofmixing cones, the outlet of one of which opens in a peripheral vent at the mouth ofthe next one, so as to provide for the admission of air from the distributing chamber, the area` of 'cross section of the air distributing chamber being several times larger than the areal of cross Vsection of the said mixing chamber at its widest part, a delivery cone above the mixing chamber, provided with peripheral passages admitting air from the distributing chamber to the mouth of said delivery cone, a restricted inlet nozzle, proportioned to admit the desired quantityof liquid, opening in a peripheral vent at the. mouth of the mixing chamber, 'in combination with means for supplying air to the air distributing charnber at the lower end thereof.

In testimony whereof I have.signed. my name to this specification.

ROBERT sTIRLING. 

